The Clash observations thread.

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River
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by River »

muppet hi fi wrote:
23 Feb 2018, 11:08pm
Observation and question: why does Mick, in the last several years, always sound like he has a stuffy nose or a cold when he talks? Is this something to do with his serious late '80s illness?

And I might as well ask - why does he always sound like he's about to burst into laughter as well?
For the first one, yeah I'd probably say so. The whole thing really did screw him up a lot in his throat and lungs and probably his sinuses as well. Wouldn't be surprised honestly, those systems are connected. He kinda had that "stuffy nose/cold" sound a bit during 89 with that last tour with BAD, then onwards with BAD II. And for the second one, he's just a very happy guy. The major thing I noticed when seeing BAD in 2011 was just how happy he was when on stage. He'd be smiling the whole show. So I think it's just he's a very mellow and happy guy.

Heston
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by Heston »

I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
I love the line "Now get this," followed by his old timer persona sharing the truth of what really happened. Old and wise beyond his years. My favourite Clash song going on for over a decade now.
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oliver
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by oliver »

I've got to say I love the way he sings the word 'dust' in the first few lines as well.
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101Walterton
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by 101Walterton »

Never been in my top 3 but I agree with all the above points.
Hard to seperate LC and STH vocals both brilliant.

msza2
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by msza2 »

I'm going to a show in a couple months with a punk band called The Last Gang and ska-punk group called the Interrupters, which are a Tim Armstrong pet project, and it occurred to me how weird it is that so many bands are content to play in someone else's sandbox. The Clash, and all of its members in their solo careers, relentlessly pushed forward and I think that's what I admire most about them.

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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by WestwayKid »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 8:10pm
Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
I love the line "Now get this," followed by his old timer persona sharing the truth of what really happened. Old and wise beyond his years. My favourite Clash song going on for over a decade now.
Great vocal, great music, great production. it all comes together on this track - but the nuanced vocal delivery that Joe gives is pretty incredible by itself.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

JennyB
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by JennyB »

msza2 wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 11:54pm
I'm going to a show in a couple months with a punk band called The Last Gang and ska-punk group called the Interrupters, which are a Tim Armstrong pet project, and it occurred to me how weird it is that so many bands are content to play in someone else's sandbox. The Clash, and all of its members in their solo careers, relentlessly pushed forward and I think that's what I admire most about them.
That's such a good point.
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by JennyB »

WestwayKid wrote:
15 Mar 2018, 10:12am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 8:10pm
Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
I love the line "Now get this," followed by his old timer persona sharing the truth of what really happened. Old and wise beyond his years. My favourite Clash song going on for over a decade now.
Great vocal, great music, great production. it all comes together on this track - but the nuanced vocal delivery that Joe gives is pretty incredible by itself.
Agreed. I could also listen to the instrumental and then vocal over and over again all day if I had the time.
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matedog
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
Just listened to the Rock Band stem and it was quite a joy. Never struck me as my favorite, but I really only know of specific bits of certain songs that I just adore: second verse of Sound of Sinners where he just gets more and more worked up as the verse progresses, Corner Soul, Death or Glory where his voice cracks on "Every dragging beat," "Whoa, the harder they come, the home of ol' bluebeat, I'd stay and be a tourist but I can't take the gunplay" on SEH, the Tommy Gun outro.

Basically I love when his slips back into that gravelly thing when he gets really worked up. Which is weird because I hate his 1977 vocals. Mostly because it is clearly an affectation.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by Kory »

matedog wrote:
15 Mar 2018, 12:23pm
Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
Just listened to the Rock Band stem and it was quite a joy. Never struck me as my favorite, but I really only know of specific bits of certain songs that I just adore: second verse of Sound of Sinners where he just gets more and more worked up as the verse progresses, Corner Soul, Death or Glory where his voice cracks on "Every dragging beat," "Whoa, the harder they come, the home of ol' bluebeat, I'd stay and be a tourist but I can't take the gunplay" on SEH, the Tommy Gun outro.

Basically I love when his slips back into that gravelly thing when he gets really worked up. Which is weird because I hate his 1977 vocals. Mostly because it is clearly an affectation.
I don't mind it as much, but I understand why someone might. The fake accent, the contrived anger. I mean, I'm sure he authentically felt a lot of those things, but it's not like he was railing against the establishment just a year earlier.
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msza2
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by msza2 »

matedog wrote:
15 Mar 2018, 12:23pm
Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
Just listened to the Rock Band stem and it was quite a joy. Never struck me as my favorite, but I really only know of specific bits of certain songs that I just adore: second verse of Sound of Sinners where he just gets more and more worked up as the verse progresses, Corner Soul, Death or Glory where his voice cracks on "Every dragging beat," "Whoa, the harder they come, the home of ol' bluebeat, I'd stay and be a tourist but I can't take the gunplay" on SEH, the Tommy Gun outro.

Basically I love when his slips back into that gravelly thing when he gets really worked up. Which is weird because I hate his 1977 vocals. Mostly because it is clearly an affectation.
He really did have some great vocal quirks, didn't he? I'm also thinking about the 'acid test' line in Coma Girl. i'd guess he probably cultivated that sort of thing on purpose.

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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by Low Down Low »

What are folk's opinions on the stand out live London Calling performances? It's always fallen into the rare category for me of studio tracks that just didn't carry the same force live. Love Joe's vocal delivery on "Engines" second time round and fully endorse everything said about the song's greatness thus far.

Kory
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by Kory »

Low Down Low wrote:
16 Mar 2018, 7:41am
What are folk's opinions on the stand out live London Calling performances? It's always fallen into the rare category for me of studio tracks that just didn't carry the same force live. Love Joe's vocal delivery on "Engines" second time round and fully endorse everything said about the song's greatness thus far.
That's a hard one because he so frequently screwed up the lyrics live that it takes a lot of the power away.
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Re: The Clash observations thread.

Post by WestwayKid »

msza2 wrote:
16 Mar 2018, 12:09am
matedog wrote:
15 Mar 2018, 12:23pm
Heston wrote:
14 Mar 2018, 7:27pm
I've came to the conclusion that I think London Calling (the song) is Joe's best ever vocal performance. He wrings so much out of three or four notes. Great inflections and nuances that keep it interesting all the way through, and those screams are just fucking great. Maybe only Straight To Hell can match it.
Just listened to the Rock Band stem and it was quite a joy. Never struck me as my favorite, but I really only know of specific bits of certain songs that I just adore: second verse of Sound of Sinners where he just gets more and more worked up as the verse progresses, Corner Soul, Death or Glory where his voice cracks on "Every dragging beat," "Whoa, the harder they come, the home of ol' bluebeat, I'd stay and be a tourist but I can't take the gunplay" on SEH, the Tommy Gun outro.

Basically I love when his slips back into that gravelly thing when he gets really worked up. Which is weird because I hate his 1977 vocals. Mostly because it is clearly an affectation.
He really did have some great vocal quirks, didn't he? I'm also thinking about the 'acid test' line in Coma Girl. i'd guess he probably cultivated that sort of thing on purpose.
He was masterful at delivering perfectly nuanced vocals...even to the end as mentioned above about Coma Girl. I think he had a few duds and they really stand out because most of the time he just nailed it. Best example of "bad" Joe vocal?
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

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